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Summer sneakers

Bensimon sneakers are the French girls' Converse. I bought my first pair for our honeymoon, and I've worn them every summer ever since. They look cute with jeans, shorts and dresses; and you can slip them on quickly when holding a wriggly baby. Well, Bensimon just released a limited-edition set of pastel colors for spring, made exclusively for Madewell. Aren't they lovely? (P.S. My big-foot size has already sold out, so hurry if you'd like a pair!)(Top photo by The Singular; bottom layout by Jennifer Hagler for Cup of Jo)

I broke out my bright yellow Bensimons today- loving this warm weather in NYC! I found my yellow ones on clearance two summers ago at Madewell for $15, and it was love at first sight. Then, I found a green lace-up pair at Anthro for only $9.95! I love a good deal!

@Joanna, I remember my first pair... I am French and I bought it 20 years ago, when I was 14. My friends all had a pair and I absolutely wanted one, too. I had a very small budget (baby sitting money) and had to ask my mom to help me to buy the Bensimmons. I loved them so much I could have slept with my shoes. At the beginning, they were light blue, the same pastel color as this year's special collection,but I wore them until totaly bleached! Memories! You made me want to buy a a new pair here in Paris, to feel ... like yhe classy NY Woman you are :)

@Teeny84. The fact is : they sometimes stink (but not that much), because of the rubber sole. But the shoes can be put in the washing machine and dry quite easily. Some talc inside would help, too.

i bought a pair of these last year on your recommendation and was less than impressed. they didn't even make it through the summer and that was only wearing them once or twice a week. i thought perhaps i got a bad pair because you've always raved about them, so i bought a second pair. nope. same story.:( i have a pair of Toms that i've worn near daily for over a year and they still look great. love the new Toms styles and colors!

I love these shoes and now really want the yellow! I made mine more comfortable by adding gel insoles…it made a world of difference in the comfort level (they feel almost like gym shoes now!). They've been really durable for me too - I've worn them a lot and they still seem new.

Thanks for the tips! I didn't think of the fact that they're machine washable. And for any Canadians out there, I snagged a few pairs at the Bay for (wait for it...) SIX DOLLARS! They still have some in both downtown toronto locations.

i have to agree with Jen's comment about these. The soles are so thin; feels like a water shoe to me. Like you can feel ever crack in the pavement that you walk on in them. Dansko or New Balance should collaborate with Bensimon to get a healthier shoe.

They're adorable, but has anyone else had the soles wear out in like, a week? Seriously, I only walked in them about half a mile to a mile a day, and they were absolutely shot after about 9 days. I wondered if I'd gotten a bum pair, but I see that someone else commented about this above me. I thought Parisian ladies were always walking places! :) The pink ones are super cute, though. So much chicer than converse, which are my sturdier go-to.

yes, i hear the comments about them being flimsy -- i think of them more like beach shoes//hang out shoes, so i basically get a new pair for each summer. they're just simple easy shoes. but not really investment shoes. those are my two cents! xoxo

Love the yellow ones! I feel like for spring and summer you can get away with wearing yellow with anything and everything. I was looking at the new Tom's parisian flats as well. Not sure which I like better? I guess it depends on comfort level!

I ordered a pair a year ago and wore them all over Europe for a month. I walked over 5 miles a day, and I now still wear them! They have become dirty, but I am amazed at how well they have held up. These are definitely the most comfortable and sturdiest summer shoes I own (compared to sandals)

I actually don't like any of these pastel shoes, but it is due to an old post of yours (which I recently discovered) that I found out about Bensimon sneakers in the first place. I bought the original sneakers in a taupe color for an upcoming trip to Amsterdam. I think they're a good balance between casual and chic.

I just discovered this website and I thought it was so beautiful and it would fit perfectly on your blog, maybe as part of your motherhood mondays series. You may already know about it, but thought I'd share anyways. I found it inspiring.

i bought the ballerine style last fall. they felt flimsy at first, but then i fell in love with them and have worn them practically non-stop ever since. but now there's a hole in the sole of one and i'm very sad.

Just bought a pair, but went for navy blue. I thought 41s would do the trick, but even they are a bit too small (I have 10 month old twins and my feet are way bigger now, such a bummer - although the girls are so very worth having bigger feet!)L

Ordered them in yellow...had to try them since you speak of them so highly. AND they're French!

Are you going to do a post on 'Raising BeBe' (speaking of all things French)? Bought it & couldn't put it down. Thanks for mentioning it. Because of it, I'm going to do things a bit differently with "baby #2"!

Have to agree with Billie -- I live in Paris, and Converse are the most common shoe or sneaker among Parisian women here. So much I'd say Converse are the French woman's Converse ;) In summertime you see more Bensimon's, but Converse still rules among all ages.

I enjoyed reading through comments above ! I am French and wearing both Converse AND Bensimon. Some practical tips : Yes, you can machine wash them easily, yes, their life duration (in good conditions) lasts approx. a season, but cheap as they are, you can afford a pair or two every summer. They size rather correctly (not too short, not too wide) I like to think that they were my it-shoes when i was 14 (decades ago), and made a glorious come-back a couple of years ago. Teens DO wear them in winter (which is crazy I can tell)... Last but not least, I can read here and there that they are quite expensive in the US (vs. 27 Euros here) - but do you have the least idea of how expensive a pair of basic Chuckies are in France ?

I enjoyed reading through comments above ! I am French and wearing both Converse AND Bensimon. Some practical tips : Yes, you can machine wash them easily, yes, their life duration (in good conditions) lasts approx. a season, but cheap as they are, you can afford a pair or two every summer. They size rather correctly (not too short, not too wide) I like to think that they were my it-shoes when i was 14 (decades ago), and made a glorious come-back a couple of years ago. Teens DO wear them in winter (which is crazy I can tell)... Last but not least, I can read here and there that they are quite expensive in the US (vs. 27 Euros here) - but do you have the least idea of how expensive a pair of basic Chuckies are in France ?